Finally after a 6 mths wait my son gets his appointment at the London Embassy to renew his passport and ID card. Long wait due to 1m Thais in the UK many of which are students renewing their passports. Needed my Thai Vaccination ID nos to put on his application form? Don't know how that works? Then we get phone call from embassy saying the names on his birth cert old ID and passport are not the same. Oh yes they certainly are! Also what is his blood type for his ID card? No idea! His brother renewed his iD and passport 6 mths ago without any of this nonsense. Seems the London Embassy likes making up rules just like Immigration in Thailand!

Why can't Thai government officials see that reducing unnecessary paperwork and computerising what remains makes their job easier and infinitely more efficient!

 

I suspect the answer to your final question is that for reasons we westerners don't understand,  Government Departments and even individual offices are allowed to apply their own rules. 

This then allows corruption to take place. 

The only place I have found over the years where it doesn't seem to exist is the Department of Foreign Affairs who issue Thai passports. 

They are very helpful and efficient,scan the documents they require and the passport is delivered to your home in two or three days at a fraction of the cost you pay in Australia or the UK.